Hi Ladies
I’m 41, 2yrs post dx. 1st chemo aged 39 stopped my periods. Cancer hormonal so on Tamoxifen since Oct 08. In May, 2 years after my last one, I had a period. It was pretty heavy. I had felt like I was going to have one for a while, and now I feel like I’m going to have one again.
I believe the options for stopping them are zoladex injections which you have every 4 weeks or an oophorectomy. Does anyone know what the pros and cons of each option are?
Kinden
x
I was on zoladex for 15 months before having my ovaries removed instead.
My onc gave the option from the start, and to be honest I wish i had it done sooner. I found the zoladex, not painful, but uncomfortable, and a tie having to go to the hosp every 4 weeks to get it done. My oophorectomy was simply done as a day stay patient by keyhole. I was driving 4 days after.
This was a year ago and i still only get a few mild flushes that i was already getting from the tamoxifen and zoladex, no worse. I am now 36, i take Adcal d3 and have 2 yearly bone density scans to check for bone thinning. Also, as my onc said, i dont have to worry about ovarian cancer now either.
Personally i would op for the ooph but then again everyone is different with side effects.
Good luck x
Hi Kinden,
I started a similar thread a while ago on the same subject. I have secondaries, so some of my concerns might be irrelevant to you. but if you are interested, you can have a look at the thread:
breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=26226
Take care xx
Hi kidensuprise
As well as the support you are receiving from the other users you might find it useful to read the BCC booklet on ovary ablation as it provides you with lots of information. If you would like a copy just follow this link:-
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/ovarian_ablation_june_2007_0.pdf
BCC also have information on zoladex, here is the link if you would like a copy:-
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/BCC33_zoladex_factsheet.pdf
I hope you find these helpul
Kind regards Sam (BCC Facilitator)
Hi Kinden
I have experienced both and as Lolly said, I too would favour the oophorectomy. Mine was enforced on me, because the Tamoxifen had caused growths on my ovaries which needed removing, so they decided to remove the ovaries at the same time. The op was almost painless, 3 tiny incisions, minimal discomfort and home the next morning.
Zoladex injections can be quite painful, the needle is huge! It was inconvenient going to the doctors every month as it is so difficult to park etc.
But then you have to weigh up possible risks of any surgery and whether you may still want children! as oophorectomy is obviously irrevesible!
Good Luck with whatever decision you make, any more questions just ask, Nicola
Hi
I had zoladex for 2 years after my primary bc and after I had the last one it took about 5 months before my periods returned - not what I wanted as I am very hormone receptive. Whether this did me in or not I now have secondaries and I’m sure the extra hormones didn’t help even though I was on Tamoxifen at the time. After chemo for secondaries I had Zoladex again so I could take Aromatase Inhibitors before having ovary ablation in Nov 08. This in itself had some unwelcome side effects - probably already listed on m1yu’s thread but I couldn’t have an operation at the time due to complications with atrial fibrillation. Obviously Zoladex can be stopped at any time and your periods can return but the other 2 methods are permanent. The needles are pretty big for the Zoladex and you do have to visit your GP or hospital every 4 weeks to have it done. Having said that I did it for 2 years and it didn’t really bother me and it didn’t hurt (me) as it is given subcutaneously (sp?) ie to go under the skin rather than into the bloodstream and is (usually?) given in the abdomen. I had very bad menopausal symptoms with Zoladex which did stop when I stopped having Zoladex (although was still on Tamoxifen), I was 43 at the time.
Hope this helps with any information gathering and feel free to ask any other questions.
Nicky
I’m hopeful of yet having children, so am on Zoladex and Tamoxifen at the moment. You can have a 3 monthly injection now, which is more convenient. It does hurt a bit, but not for very long.
My onc had me on the monthly injections until he was sure my periods had stopped, then I could move onto 3monthly. I expect to be on it for a couple of years (14 months to go!).
Usual menopause symptoms for me, nothing too bad.
I was told the 3 monthly ones were only for men with prostate cancer?
Zoladex was invented for men with prostate cancer in the first place. Use for breast cancer is still relatively experimental anyway. I don’t see why a monthly vs 3 monthly injection makes any difference - it does the same thing either way.
Zoladex - from what I was told and have read, it’s only the monthly one that is licensed for use on women with bc and the men only have the 3 month one. Perhaps it depends on your area’s protocol as to whether you have it monthly or 3 monthly. Or how hormonally receptive you were or why you are having it.
I’m on the monthly one and have been for nearly 2 yrs. I was swopping from tamoxifen to arimidex but was pre-menopausal so have to have the zoladex to trick my body into thinking I’m post-menopausal. I don’t have kids and don’t want any and am 45.
Liz
PS Flora - think the main concern they may have if it’s the 3 month one is that it may get less effective towards the end of the 3 months as the implant will be down to the ‘dregs’. With the monthly one, there’s less time for it to lessen its strength. That’s a garbled version of what I was told and I hope you see where it’s coming from !!
My apologies Liz and Lolly. Just done some reading and you are right. I’m due my next one next week, so will talk to them about it and go back to monthly. It was the nurses suggestion, oncologist knows about it…
Hi All
Thanks for your replies, links to other threads and support generally, it is very much appreciated. My OH won’t really talk about it.
I had completed my family before dx (and OH has had the snip!) and my girls are now 6 and 4, so I don’t need my ovaries any more. I had been erring on the side of going for the Ooph rather than zoladex anyway, but knowing what it’s really like, particularly that you could drive so soon afterwards, is a big help. I’ve had enough of hospital appts, so the thought of going every month was not a prospect I was looking forward to.
I also have a thickened womb lining, even after the bleeding, so I might ask them to get rid of that too!!!
Ooph it is for me!
Thanks ladies.
I’m goimg to discuss which of these to go for too as just finished chemo and periods have still carried on and much heavier. There has been mention of Zoladex, but I think there are concerns about the effects of an early menopause (I am 30). It’s a case of balancing up the risks I suppose, my cancers were 8/8 receptive so anything I can do to reduce the hormones racing around my body!
Paula x